percussivepaul wrote:Am I in the wrong here? I'm open to being convinced.

Maybe there is no "right" and "wrong" here. If you're willing to accept the opinions expressed by just a bunch of guys and gals, most of us don't like this. It's expressed in different ways by different people, but it's mostly negative. Sk8godfather has a different perspective and it brings something interesting to the table.I guess, in the end, we either stop going to the burn or learn to exist in the same city as this. I wish I thought that we could bring pressure to bear on the llc and have them make things unfriendlier for camps that do this sort of thing. Or the BLM would be nice, as they are apparently the ones who started the no commerce thing. I have no answers! Alas!

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

If they gotta charge, they're spending too much. I wish the LLC would deny placement to anyone promoting this kind of crap. Even if you are already placed. Pull placement, pull EAPs, pull vendor passes.

Sk8GodFather wrote:The Shipwreck Tiki Lounge is cool as hell!!! When I need to escape the craziness of the roller disco, I hang out there. They help a lot of people out. Like everyone doing a theme camp it's hard and expensive. Give Tiki Tom a break!!!!!!! Don't hate!!! He is a good friend of the roller disco!!!!!

They may be friends of the roller disco, but apparently the Almighty Dollar is more important to them than the whole "not the default world" thing Burning Man is supposed to be about. Selling "special access" to a bar on the playa is one of the douchiest things I've heard of, and I've been part of a bar camp for a couple of years. There's a reason we call ourselves "the jankiest bar on the playa" - we can afford "janky" with a small local fundraiser or two and lots of out-of-pocket from the camp. You know what- the bar is extremely popular, people love it, everyone is welcome. No velvet ropes, no special access, no douchery.

I wonder how I'm getting this in the paper this year? A little public shaming goes a long way...

It's a camping trip in the desert, not the redemption of the fallen world - Cryptofishist

Hell, we used to have breeze past the front of the line, no cover charge privileges at Coyote Ugly's in Vegas. No shit. I could get into a bar with a line and a cover charge in Vegas easier than a bar on the playa? Screw that noise.

HEY - don't be dissing my velvet ropes ! We have them for a reason, and it's not to be douches. If you are inside the ropes, it means you got carded and are 21 y.o or older. And when the bar gets too full, we can't let anyone else in until somebody leaves. And finally, since we provide fine stemware for both wine and champagne ( I'm not pouring great wine into an F'n Sierra cup ) for our guests use while in our bar, the velvet ropes help to make sure guests leave their glasses before they leave. Nothing douchy about that - we would like to keep and re-use our $ 1K worth of stemware, thanks. And not have an under-aged drinker sneek in and get us fined $ 1K. Velvet ropes - not douchery, just crowd control ( plus they look cool ) !!!

Oh hell, just be angry. One thing I keep learning on eplaya is how much we vary in our experience, even in the meaning of objects. Freud would be so proud of us. Except that it's not all sex all the time. Just most of the time.

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

Ramble on: My velvet ropes were purely ironic for use in front of a chickenwire low budget art gallery. Then I used them to create space when I'm stocking the Home with art, it gets difficult to curate when people are poking through my piles of art I've selected for the day. One morning I turned around and was shocked to find a quiet, well mannered line of people waiting to get at the art. They saw the ropes and knew what the cultural expectation was: to stay out until invited in. Which is weird at Burning Man.

I can understand the use of the ropes for ID and stemware.... but it still creates a mindset. Hence ensuing expectations and explanations. People step over my ropes all the time. Usually I don't care, unless they start digging through my art while I'm working. People then get pissy-er than if there had been no ropes and I'd simply asked the to back off.

Velvet ropes have great power .... and something something great responsibility.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will never send friends there again. WIthin a short walk is The Golden Cafe which is one of the best bars I have EVER been to at BRC. Frequent them, they rock it.